I’M NOT CRYING. YOU’RE CRYING!
The day I heard that Damien Chazelle (yes, the Damien Chazelle…of La La Land fame) was going to make his TV debut, I knew I was in for a turbulent emotional ride and some deep-level characterization, all happening against the backdrop of jazz music.
Released on May 8, 2020 on Netflix, the most notable aspect about The Eddy is how it establishes every single character in great detail. The stories of each dramatis personae are explored intricately, with over an hour dedicated to every character. While this process might be painfully slow for most people, not once does the story move away from its main character — the jazz club.
The third episode of the miniseries — Amira — is one of the finest episodes in the history of television. It makes you cry, laugh, and want to get up and dance, all at the same time. So even if you start watching the series and feel like it’s too slow and not meant for you, make sure you watch this particular episode, and with great patience, because I assure you — you will be rewarded with some riveting cinema.
The show is especially relevant to the current times, where all of humanity faces uncertainty which is difficult to define. Every person in the series has their own set of issues, that are far from being whimsical in nature. It is a story of the same uncertainty, of powering through these issues even when you’re absolutely, completely lost. It’s a story of one family, who stick it out together even when they’re all going through collective and individual hell.
The music itself is, perhaps, not as engaging as a jazz lover would expect. Nonetheless, it will make you yearn to go to Paris and enjoy an evening at a jazz club. The performances are mostly brilliant, with each actor’s movements going from perfectly still to perfectly noisy as required, forming yet another song.
The most important takeaway from The Eddy is quite simple at its roots — whenever you’re engulfed in darkness, when you see no light at the end of the tunnel, remember to turn on some jazz music!
